There are many fasteners designed to be driven by a power actuated gun. These fasteners are used in construction for attaching wood, plastic, or steel structural members to masonry type surfaces such as stone, brick, or masonry walls. One such fastener is a round washer having a pointed stud placed therethrough and frictionally retained therein. The pointed end of the stud extends below the surface of the attached washer. Before driving this fastener assembly, the fastener assembly has to be conventionally nailed into the softer structural material such as wood, plastic or steel, that is being attached to the masonry surface. A power actuated gun is then used to fully drive the fastener assembly into the masonry surface. While this adequately holds the structural member to the masonry surface, the prior step of partially driving the fastener assembly into the structural member to be attached requires additional time and effort, slowing the construction process. Occasionally, in order to save time, the fastener assembly is driven in one step through the structural member and masonry surface with the power actuated gun without the prior step of conventionally driving the pointed end portion of the fastener assembly into the structural member up to the washer surface. While this saved time, it results in the potentially hazardous occurrence of the fastener assembly being shot in an unpredictable direction. The fastener assembly merely resting on the pointed end portion thereof easily tilts or rocks askew of the surface which, upon occasion, results in the fastener assembly being deflected by the surface and dangerously causing the fastener assembly to be shot in an unpredictable direction, having the potential to create serious injury.
Additionally, if driven successfully, the flat washer of the fastener assembly is often deformed causing the center portion of the washer to be driven into the structural member of the washer with the outer circumference turned up. This reduced the bearing surface of the fastener on the structural member. This results in the structural member being more easily pulled from the fastener. Additionally, the plastic flutes used to guide the stud in the barrel of a power actuated gun would often compress and deform between the head of the stud and the flat washer. This results in a space between the head and the flat washer which is undesirable for several reasons. One reason is that the head of the stud is raised above the surface, and another is that upon loosening or removal of the relatively soft plastic over time results in a gap between the washer and head, thereby resulting in play between the masonry surface and the structural member.
While these and other types of fasteners have proved useful in many applications, they are not without their inconveniences. Therefore, there is a need for an improved fastener assembly that is easy to use, more efficient, and safer.